April 2016

MARTIN WAY ALLOTMENT NEWS

MAGA Martin Way Allotment News is produced 3-4 times per year by Committee members and volunteers. The MAGA committee accept no liability for any errors or views expressed in this publication.

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MAGAMessage from the Chair

Welcome to Spring and I have to say I’m glad to be

welcoming in the new season. With all new things

comes change of course and I’m writing this ahead of

our Annual General Meeting on 10th April.

We are looking forward to welcoming all of our tenant

members back to the MAGA marquee. We need your

support – not just to turn up on the day, but to volunteer

to be a part of the Committee for the next 12 months.

We’ve had the benefit of a strong committee of 10 for

this past year and there is certainly an advantage to greater numbers to sharing the workload. So

I would encourage you to please consider whether you could spare an hour a week or a fortnight to

help and have your say.

When I look back at what we have achieved as an Association in the 5 years that I have been

Chairperson of MAGA, I am humbled and in awe of what we have accomplished. Throughout all this

time, I have been surprised and delighted to serve alongside a growing number of really dedicated

people that have freely given up their time for the improvement of the site and the social side of our

hobby. I feel honoured to have been a part of it these past

5 years. It has taught me a very great deal about

the character and soul of allotmenteering and the

allotment community. We are all part of a very special,

dear group of friends that share common interests

and we are unafraid to speak out about the things

that are really important.

It is time for me to pass along the mantle of leading this great group of people to someone new. I’m

confident that you will choose a good leader and then give them your support so that they can

continue the great work we have started.

Thank you for letting me be a part of Martin Way Allotments for so long. My family and I are leaving

London for pastures new in Hampshire and we will definitely look back on our time at Martin Way

with warmth and deep fondness.

Best wishes and good growing

Caroline Trumper

(Chairperson on behalf of MAGA Committee)

1. MAGA Annual General Meeting, Sunday 10th April 2-3.30pm

Come along and hear what's been happening, what will

happen, elect your new Committee and find out who will

win this year's Margie Mulder Award for Most Improved

Plot and Chairperson's Cup for Best Plot. Stay on for

refreshments afterwards and a chance to meet with your

new Committee members.

2. Joining the MAGA Committee - MAGA Needs YOU!

Certain of the Committee will be stepping down this year so we are looking for members to step up

and be new Committee Officers. Are you able to give up an hour of your week to help us? No

experience is needed, just an interest in helping to keep our site running smoothly and for the greater

benefit of all members. This could mean putting up a poster, ordering stock for the shop, showing a

prospective tenant to a plot or just making sure you have a voice in committee decision making.

Please email committee@maga.org.uk if you have any questions or would like to volunteer to be

an Officer prior to the AGM.

3. Parking at the Allotments

We're very aware that parking has been tricky again this winter with much of the main parking area

west-side being under water/mud! This year we plan to increase the available

parking by moving the marquee onto the grass. We would also remind

members that there are designated parking areas near plot 60 and

plot 129. Please note that parking is not permitted anywhere else on the

site including on member's plots.

4. Closing Gates

Members are reminded that the entry gates on both sides of the allotments should be closed behind

you at all ties. This is for the greater security and safety of all our members and your equipment &

harvests.

5. Distribution of Committee Minutes

We are making copies of committee minutes available to all members to read. Copies will be put in

a folder marked Committee Minutes to read whilst in the shop, on the Shop Notice Board and paper

copies available for you to take away to read at your leisure from the collection box on the outside

door of the shop.

6. Help Needed for Working Party

We need help to reinstate boundary paths on some recently recovered and

overgrown plots west-side ahead of them being re-let. Please turn up with

shears, secateurs and gloves on April 16th at 10am if you are available to help.

7. Keeping Chickens at Martin Way

We are delighted that Peter Slater has had chickens on his plot now for

nearly a half a year and that they seem to be thriving!

We wanted to remind all members that prior permission

from the Committee must be sought before keeping

chickens on your plot. We have the welfare of the birds

to consider and need to report accordingly to London Borough of Merton.

Thanks in advance.

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Formal AnnouncementMAGA Annual General Meeting, Sunday 10th April 2016, 2-3.30pmWe invite you to join us at the 2016 MAGA Annual General Meeting in the marquee, Martin Way

Allotments West, on Sunday 10th April 2016, from 2-3.30pm and then join us for refreshments at

the end of the meeting.

Agenda

1. Minutes of 2015 AGM

2. Chairperson's report for 2015-16

3. Treasurer's report for 2015-16

4. For consideration by membership

a. Request opinion regarding purchase of shredder by MAGA

b. Discussion of what is "good neighbourliness" at Martin Way Allotments

5. General Business

a. Margie Mulder Trophy Award for most improved plot

b. Chairperson's Cup Award for best plot

6. Election of Committee Officers

a. Chairperson

b. Treasurer

c. Secretary

d. Vice-Chairperson

e. Up to 9 additional Committee Officers

7. Any other business

Meeting will close at 3.30pm followed by

drinks and refreshments.

Minutes of the 2015 AGM will be sent separately,

together with details on voting by proxy.

We look forward to welcoming you on the

10th April.

best wishes

Caroline Trumper

(Chairperson on behalf of MAGA Committee)

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A GARDEN BENCH for sale

Hi Guys, I've an old garden bench that I'd happily trade for either some good will, excess

plants or a charitable donation to a charity of your choice. So if somebody fancies a bench

and would like to collect it, have a coffee and a chat I'm certain we could find an amicable

solution. Please let me know. David

MAGA Martin Way Allotment Gardens Association Ltd

David Bamford

E: outdoorexperiencedb@gmail.com

maga.org.uk

T: 07592780217

The APIARY at Martin Way

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As you will have experienced yourselves, the weather over the last few

months has been strange and changeable, and that impacts on our hives on the

allotment. Usually, our Honeybees will gradually stop the Queen from laying eggs (which

turn into new “winter” bees) after about late October/early November, and the bees will

begin to form their winter cluster in order to keep both their Queen and themselves warm.

Because the Queen has stopped laying, there is no need for the bees to go out and

forage (the term used to describe the collecting of nectar and pollen by worker bees) as

there will not be any young larvae to feed by December. The Queen will restart laying

eggs towards the end of January, to coincide with early flowers that produce pollen such

as snowdrops and crocus. However, last Autumn and early winter were very mild, the

Queen continued (we think!) to lay eggs, which in turn means that there is a greater need

for foraging to feed the young larvae, but with many of our Spring flowers already partially

over, things are difficult if you are a bee. It may also

mean a higher incidence of pests and diseases inside

the hives as there has not been enough of a cold

spell to reduce numbers of say, the Varroa mite. The

Varroa mite is a tiny parasitic mite (so not an insect!)

which made it’s way over here from

South East Asia in the 1990’s, and

it lives on the backs of the adult

bees, where they cannot reach

to groom them off, and also it reproduces within the cells of the grow-

ing larvae.......so you can now see the potential problem: with no gap in

laying, the Varroa mite has a much greater chance to reproduce and pass on

it’s associated diseases to the bees. We will only really know the condition of each hive

once it is warm enough to open up and check each frame of bees, then we can treat for

problems if needed. So, how warm is warm enough?

Generally, we only open up hives to inspect if it is at

least 15 degrees outside, anything less will risk

chilling the young brood (the term for young larvae).

How else can we find out what is happening inside

the hive? My favourite activity is to stand quietly

beside my hives and watch any bee activity at the

entrance. Bees may fly even at 5 degrees

sometimes. I watch for returning female worker bees bringing back pollen on their hind

legs, in their pollen baskets. I try to match the colour of the pollen with my pollen chart,

matching it also with what I know will be in flower

at that time. So, anyone with the wonderful magical

dandelion please do leave some as both honey

and bumble bees love them, and they are one of

the few really good sources of nectar and pollen at

the moment! A few weeks ago I saw 9 yes 9

Honeybees at one time on one dandelion, they

were actually on top of each other queuing up for

a slurp. Personally I think that is far more important

than keeping your plot too neat and tidy! Well at

least as far as the dandelion goes....

Wishing you a good growing season, and with thanks as ever for all the interest

and support you give our bees, best wishes from Alison.

Weekend BREAD Club – progressive baking with a purpose!

The Weekend Bread Club is now in its fifth month – plotholder

Members have been coming together to bake since December

2015. They say that sessions are easy going, fun and useful -

and add that the Weekend Bread Club gets them baking with other

people. They feel it gives them the encouragement to experiment, share tips and tricks

and improve their bakes.

The programme for the spring through to winter covers UK

and international traditions as well as technologies and bak-

ing paraphernalia. The emphasis is on working together in

a friendly, relaxed and supportive way using organic ingre-

dients – and baking with a purpose. We cover healthy and

savoury through to sweet teatime baking and incorporate

seasonal and festive themes as we work our way through

the year.

We’re planning on making traditional farmhouse loaves,

pizza and Turkish pide, yeast empanadas and calzones as

well as examining gluten free baking. We'll be looking at

using a variety of flours including

rye, spelt and barley as well as

dough forming techniques including

bannetons. And of course we’ll be making baguettes. In the late

autumn we’ll be taking on North American baking, Moroccan,

Indian and Pakistani bread. In December we’ll be turning our

hands to Christmas and new year specialities.

We currently have nine members whose bread making experience

ranges from limited through to intermediate. There is no charge

for membership and there are no fees associated with the

sessions. Our monthly meets, which last for a few hours starting

late on Saturday mornings, are hosted by Members who have room in their kitchens.

Weekend Bread Club membership is restricted to MAGA plotholders.

Each session includes a ‘show and tell’ element where Members can, if they want to,

bring test bakes for discussion as well as demonstrations and practical hands on work

and testing. Our informal discussions are lively, thought provoking and wide ranging -

from the merits of various flours to hot topics of the moment such as industrial bread-

making processes and flour additives, from good bakeries we have come across to using

woodfired and outdoor ovens. Each time we meet we actively look to improve the quality

of our bakes and expand our repertoires, expertise and skills. Although we have an outline

plan to follow, this is not set in stone and we’re open to new ideas and suggestions as

we move forward.

To date we’ve been busy making: scones, soda bread, bread

rolls, challah, hot cross buns, fougasse, Chinese steamed

buns, Japanese buns as well as sourdough. If you have

breadmaking experience and might be interested in joining

this lively and friendly Weekend Bread Club we have room

for two new Members.

Email me on the following address and I will get right back to you with further

information: mikegleeson@archangelcomms.com

5

Cheese scones and soda bread

Challah - fresh out of the oven

Our sourdough

Garden MEMBERSHIPA reminder that Garden Memberships are due for renewal. If you haven't

done so already, do look in at the shop during opening hours (10.30am-

12.30pm Saturdays and Sundays), complete a renewal form and

collect your 2016 membership card. Garden Membership costs just £5 a year

and allows you to make purchases in Ken's Shop and to attend all MAGA social events.

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Ken's SHOPKen's Shop re-opened on 6th February for the 2016

season after a refurbishment which saw a complete

redecoration and improved lighting, making it a much

brighter place both to shop and to work. New season

stock includes five varieties of seed potatoes, onion and

shallot sets and

spring-planting

garlic. New sea-

son seeds are

on special offer at 10 pence off

the retail price, making them

cheaper than in the shops.

IN HEAVY

This offer ends on 17th

April so buy your new

seeds soon to take

advantage.

WATERLOGGED ! ! !March 30th

when

she after

some months

rather cruelly

insisted

that he actually

come and help

dig and wheelbarrow

on their allotment

she then

thought it

a tad overdone

for him to arrive

in front of

all the other

plot holders

limping dressed

as a slave in

heavy chains

dragging a wagon

singing sad

heart rending

pitiful spirituals

and rather loudly

weeping and

wailing

pmcmanus

r853

It is with much

sadness that we

report the death

of Pat Entwhistle

widow of Ken after

whom our shop is

named. Our sincere

condolences go to

her son Chris and

daughter Karen at

this unhappy time.